For the last nine years, the Green Band has brought Japanese high school bands to Pasadena to perform at the Rose Parade.

Their bands are one of the few international groups to play in the annual New Year’s Day celebration. But it’s not an easy feat to pull off, according to Emiko Christensen, the band’s U.S. program director for the Green Band Association.

For example, the 153 members of this year’s band — which includes current and graduated Gifu Shogyo High School students — can’t fit on the same plane, so they have staggered arrivals starting Christmas day with the last group arriving on the 27th.

“We’re just camped out for the Christmas time at the airport,” Christensen said.

There’s also 66 parents coming along for the ride.

Once the students arrive, they’ll spend eight hours a day practicing at Angel Stadium in Anaheim until the Parade.

In a bit of a twist of fate, sisters Minami Matsui, 21, and Riko Matsui, 17, will both perform at the Rose Parade this year, but in different bands.

Minami traveled to Pasadena in 2014 with the Gifu Shogyo band, but this year, she’s playing on behalf of Pasadena City College. Her sister, Riko, is now a student at Gifu Shogyo and also a member of the band.

In an email, Matsui said she watched the Pasadena City College band play in a video two years ago and decided she wanted to join. She said she is excited to play in the Rose Parade again because she enjoyed the crowds clapping and cheering.

She described the chance for her sister to have the same experience as a “dream come true.”

The Gifu Shogyo band was organized in 1925 and has been run by Band Director Takaaki Wada since 1987. Their concerts sell out quickly and often feature Broadway-style musicals. A performance of “Mamma Mia” by ABBA helped fund their trip to the Rose Parade this year.

This year’s band is mostly newcomers.

While the Rose Parade is broadcast on an international channel in Japan, the experience is often surprising for first-time students. Audiences in Japan are quiet compared to the roaring crowds here, Christensen said.

By the end of the 10-day trip, the shy students are smiling and more outgoing, she added.

“They really improve a lot,” she said.

The Green Band’s trip to the United States always includes a charity concert to raise funds for the victims of disasters. Last year, the Toho High School marching band raised more than $5,000 to support the survivors and victims of the mass shooting in San Bernardino.

This year, Christensen said the funds will help causes related to the wildfires in Tennessee and the recent earthquake in Fukushima.

“We thought it might be good education for the kids to learn service for others,” Christensen said. “They can share their talent and at the same time, help others.”

Jason Henry is an investigative reporter with the Southern California News Group. Raised in Ohio, Jason began his career at a suburban daily near Cleveland before moving to California in 2013. He is a self-identified technophile, data nerd and wannabe drone pilot.